A program that would provide a roadmap to restoring driving privileges to individuals with suspended licenses was presented to the Wichita City Council Tuesday morning.
The program is called "WARP", short for the Wichita Area Restoration Program. City officials said there are about 227 thousand suspended drivers in Kansas, with 25 percent of those in Sedgwick County. Driving privileges can be suspended for things like DUI but also for financial reasons, like failure to pay child support or back taxes. Two-thirds of the suspensions locally had balances between $500 and $1 thousand.
Not having a license can cause financial hardships but also creates liability issues if one is involved in an accident.
Kansas Legal Services would assist the city and county, who would provide some funding to pay for the support.
The council also got a planning update on the Home Investment partnerships American Rescue plan program. The city will receive an additional $5.5 million in funding to provide housing services and shelter to the homeless. City leaders are looking for partnerships with non-profits and others to develop short-term and long-term strategies on how to best serve this population.
